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6.5 Grendel Evolution

The 6.5 Grendel is a superior intermediate-power cartridge for the AR platform.

Considering its intermediate size, the 6.5mm Grendel’s performance is superhero-like. Exterior ballistics, retained energy and retained velocity are all a noticeable step up from established intermediate cartridges such as the 5.56×45, 5.45×39, 6×45 and 7.62×39 in the dust. The Grendel hotrods a standard AR-15 platform, allowing it to not only hit harder but also dramatically extends its reach.

I first became aware of the Grendel in late 2002 while working on a 6.5mm project of my own. However I shelved my design after speaking with Bill Alexander, founder of Alexander Arms and who developed the .50 Beowulf cartridge and an AR-15 chambered for the Soviet 5.45×39 M74 cartridge.

Eventually the 6.5mm PPC caught his attention because it would fit his existing high strength .50 Beowulf bolt. So he machined a solid brass 6.5mm PPC dummy round to ponder. It seemed like a fantastic cartridge that was small enough to double-stack in an AR-15 size magazine.

To test the concept, he built a rifle using a free floated 24-inch stainless steel match barrel with a 1:9 inch twist. He fed it using modified USA brand 7.62×39 magazines.

Initial testing revealed the small cartridge to have excellent potential, but unfortunately there was no good commercial source for the PPC case. Then Alexander met Lapua engineer Janne Pohjoispaa, who presented him with the idea for a new cartridge, the 8.6×39 Lapua Tactical. It was basically a .220 Russian case necked up to .338, and Pohjoispaa was looking for someone to make a rifle for it. Alexander instead suggested necking the .220 Russian up to 6.5mm. When Pohjoispaa nodded, the foundation for the Grendel was laid.

The first step was to shorten the neck and increase case capacity. With such a relatively small case, any increase in capacity was a plus. The final change was to thicken the case neck to .012 inch to lengthen case life in a semiauto rifle.

Alexander Arms paid for the cartridge tooling and placed an initial order for 50,000 brass cases in November 2003. About this time I asked Alexander what he planned on calling the new cartridge. “.26 Grendel,” he replied. Unimpressed, I suggested 6.5mm Grendel instead. He mulled it over, and the new cartridge was christened.

The finalized 6.5×38 Grendel cartridge has a .441-inch diameter case head and a case length of 1.524 inches. Rim thickness, at .059 inch, is significantly thicker than a 5.56×45. This aids reliability. Shoulder angle is 30 degrees, and a small rifle primer is utilized. Overall cartridge length runs from 2.200 to 2.265 inches.

The Grendel will handle 80- to 144-grain projectiles, but it performs best with bullets in the 100- to 123-grain range. The result is a handsome little cartridge that fits neatly into the confines dictated by the AR-15′s magazine well.

Due to its diminutive size one would expect the Grendel to be a purely short-range number like the visually similar 7.62×39, but despite operating at low pressures and midrange velocities, it produces excellent performance due to its use of efficient projectiles with high ballistic coefficients, which shed velocity and energy at a slower rate and deliver higher velocities at target distance.

The next task was getting the new cartridge to shoot. The first throat designs were found wanting, so Alexander took a page from the Swedish Mauser book.

“The 6.5x55mm Swede is peculiar among all the other 6.5mms in that it has a half-degree throat,” he says. “This commences right at the end of the chamber neck. The proof is the Swede will shoot just about anything you stuff in it while maintaining a military chamber.

“However the 6.5x55mm is a large case designed for single-base extruded powder. The smaller Grendel has a propensity for double-base ball type propellants. The difference is the double-base propellants are more pressure sensitive.

“Due to this the half degree throat pirated from the Mauser was not building pressure. This worried me regarding secondary detonation in extreme cold conditions, such as Alaska. So we solved this problem by designing the chamber with the back of the throat like a Swedish Mauser and the front like a stock SAMMI design. It was then dubbed a ‘compound angle’ throat because it has two angles, three if you count the transition from the neck to the throat.”

The new chamber design proved not only very accurate but also very forgiving. This latter point is important due to the diverse weight, length and shape of available .264 inch projectiles. All production Alexander Arms 6.5mm Grendel rifles have utilized this compound angle chamber design. Delivery began in late 2004.

Initially Alexander Arms offered four loads: 90-grain TNT, 120-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, 123-grain Lapua Scenar and 129-grain Hornady SST. Thanks to its ultra high .547 BC and excellent accuracy, the 123-grain Scenar became the standard by which all other Grendel loads are judged. Subsequent introductions include a 130-grain Swift Scirocco, 120-grain Barnes TSX and a 100-grain Berger open-tip match. There’s also a military/law enforcement-only load, a 125-grain bullet with a tungsten core.

Wolf Performance also loads the round, although it uses Large Rifle primers. It offers a 123-grain softpoint and a 120-grain Multi-Purpose Tactical, a hollowpoint boattail.

The big news, though, has been Hornady’s recent release of 6.5mm Grendel ammunition. The company developed an entirely new .264 inch diameter 123 grain A-MAX projectile specifically for this project. This is blessed with a very high .510 BC. Claimed muzzle velocity is 2,620 fps from a 24-inch barrel.

Hornady’s brass uses a small rifle primer, and the company is selling dies, brass and projectiles for reloaders. The cartridge is easy to reload, there’s plenty of data, and if you wish, you can form the cases from 7.62×39 brass if you wish.

So what is all the fuss about? A 123-grain .26 caliber slug launched at 2,523 fps from a 16-inch carbine hardly sounds remarkable. However when you crunch the numbers, you find those high BC projectiles smoke the intermediate cartridge competition downrange.

To demonstrate the Grendel’s accuracy I put my Alexander Arms 20-inch GDMR (on which I replaced the stock barrel with a fluted Satern match barrel with cut rifling and a 1:8.75 twist) and Mid-Length carbine (standard chrome-lined Government-weight barrel with a 1:7.5 inch twist) to work.

Engaging targets from three to 300 yards with the 16-inch gun is easy. It’s light, quick to the shoulder and handles well. Smacking 20×11-inch LaRues from 300 to 600 yards is fairly easy if you keep an eye on the conditions. The Grendel carbine flattens LaRue sniper targets that a 5.56mm 77 grain Mk262 Mod 1 round barely rocks. Wind drift is noticeably less with the Grendel too. Muzzle jump is slightly more than a 5.56mm gun but still easy to control. Reliability is flawless.

While the 16-inch gun is accurate, the 20 inch GDMR is a laser beam. Making rapid hits on multiple targets is easy out to 600 yards. At one point I fired three rounds of Hornady’s 123-grain A-Max load in four seconds. All three dropped into just four inches at 600 yards. Four five-shot groups with this load averaged a respectable 4.5 inches at 600 yards.

My 20-inch GDMR has killed any interest I had in a semi-auto .308 precision rifle. It’s lighter, handier, recoils less, uses common AR-15 parts, and the ammo weighs less. Plus it will drive a 123-grain Scenar flatter and with less wind drift than a 7.62×51 175-grain M118LR sniper load. It just delivers a lighter payload on target.

I’m not alone in my praise for this cartridge. It has generated interest among U.S. and foreign military groups looking for improved terminal performance and extended reach from a 5.56×45-size platform.

Is the Grendel perfect? No, but considering it’s an intermediate cartridge intended for use in an AR-15 platform, it performs extremely well. It will never be a magnum, so if you need more oomph I suggest stepping up to a .260 Rem. However, if you’re looking for an AR-15 with more performance than a 5.56×45 can offer, you’ll want to consider a 6.5mm Grendel.

6.5 Grendel Velocities

20-inch barrel

100 gr. Alexander Arms Berger Open-Tip Match: 2,847 fps

120 gr. Alexander Arms Barnes TSX: 2,551 fps

120 gr. Alexander Arms Nosler Ballistic Tip: 2,600 fps

120 gr. Wolf Multipurpose Tactical: 2,541 fps

123 gr. Alexander Arms Lapua Scenar: 2,627 fps

123 gr. Hornady A-MAX: 2,582 fps

129 gr. Alexander Arms Hornady SST: 2,450 fps

130 gr. Alexander Arms Swift Scirocco II: 2,400 fps

16-inch barrel

100 gr. Alexander Arms Berger OTM: 2,723 fps

120 gr. Alexander Arms Barnes TSX: 2,494 fps

120 gr. Alexander Arms Nosler BT: 2,535 fps

120 gr. Wolf MPT: 2,445 fps

123 gr. Alexander Arms Lapua Scenar: 2,523 fps

123 gr. Hornady A-MAX: 2,463 fps

Velocities are averages of five shots measured on an Oehler 35P chronograph 12 feet from the muzzle at an ambient temperature of 90 degrees at 1,030 feet above sea level.

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shane

Those 6.5mm bullets are pretty darn nice. I got to see a Grendel at the range last weekend… my first. I hope they catch on and go gangbusters. I'd buy a rifle. Right now, my go-to rifle is a .260 Remington

Tony

This is a great article. I am now interested in buying a rifle in this caliber.

Doc

Wow. I did not know that a high performance cartridge like this was available for the AR15 platform.
Will now have to have a Grendel.

Dave

I built an AR-15 chambered in 6.5 Grendel august of 2010. This artical is accurate from my experience. If you want a AR-15 and want the most out of it, you can't go wrong with Grendel.

Corey

How hard is it to get rounds for this gun??? How readly avaliable are they??? Can you pretty much find them like the 223??? And how about price for practice rounds??? Availability is my only comcern!!!

Patrick

Since Hornady started selling Grendel ammo, it has gone from being a slight pain to dead simple. You can buy ammo from AA or call your local stores and ranges. One of my local ranges stocks the Hornady ammo, and I have to say it is very good. Right now it is being loaded by AA, Wolf, Hornady and Black Hills (as .264-LBC). Lots of online sources and several companies make dies if you want to reload, too.

Digger

I purchased the 6.5 Grendel when they were first available from Alexander Arms. Never regretted it. Had so much fun shooting "dogs" in So. Dakota at 600+ yards that I started loading my own 123 gr, ammo to keep it economical. Granted, not every shot is a hit at that range and at a target just bigger than a soda can, but it's a thrill to see just how far it is still effective.

bob johnson

its a good round but its no 7.62 x39mm

NevadaRebel

No your right! It's just better, hits harder, penetrates farther and goes longer then a 7.62.x39mm or 7.62.54mm can? Sorry all in a Ar-15 model Game over for you at 10 yards or 1200 let see your 7.62 x39mm to compete with that.

james slaughter

The ballistics seem pretty darn similar to the 6.8 SPC. But, it appears that the .264 has better BCs which help at the greater ranges. My guess is that for normal hunting (200 yards), the readily available 6.8 SPC is just as potent and MUCH less expensive.

http://www.facebook.com/robert.hylton.7 Robert Hylton

Not sure where you get the much less expensive part at. Hornady 123 grain A-MAX is about $20 a box, wolf only about $14. and if you reload, the difference is nil. 6.8. nothing wrong with a 6.8, but I like having the option to shoot out to 600 to 800 yards without having to go to a .308.

GAB

James,

The ballistics of the 6.5mm Grendal and 6.8mm SPC are *not similar.* No one who actually compares data can say so.

The Grendel has greater inherent accuracy, is substantially less affected by wind, and dominates even .308 exterior ballistics remaining supersonic longer.

The 6.8 mm SPC gets the nod for close range terminal ballistics, which is what it was designed to do: be significantly more lethal than the 5.56 mm NATO round. That said, the 6.5 mm Grendel has excellent terminal ballistics at all ranges and is quite competitive with the 6.8 mm SPCup close.

The difference in cost per round is minimal for store bought ammunition, or for reloads.

james slaughter

Forgot to add my bias. I have a Stag 6.8 SPC carbine upper on a Cav Arms composite lower with a Trijicon Aimpoint total weight under 5 lbs and lethal on whitetail and hogs.

Russell

I know what my next upper build is going to be.

Anthony

I built a Grendel with the Alexander Arms 16 inch mid-length and have taken four whitetails with it at various ranges. In no way does the 6.8 compare to the 6.5 in range and available projectiles. The 6.8 will kill deer, but it won't do with a 20 inch barrel what my 6.5 Grendel can do with a 16 inch….no contest.

Bill Riley

I have been a .260 Rem fan for years, using a stainless Rem 700 DM. Also, I bought a 6.8 SPC upper for my AR, looking for a "deer gun." But, this 6.5 Grendel is the greatest match-up I could hope for, and sure will keep me from going to the .308 in an AR config! I plan to buy that upper, today!
Bill R.
Dawsonville, GA

JDStokes

I own a .50 Beowulf and I love it., but I want something with more range and still have good killing power. I have thought about going to .308 but I have a .308 bolt gun. I also thought about the 6.8, but have not heard much good about it. The 6.5 Grendle sounds to me to be the caliber to go to if I can get an upper for my Beowulf at a reasonable price. Anybody out there know where (besides AA) I can get a 6.5 upper ( cheaper than buying a complete gun)let me know.

Don Klein

OKC gun club host a 500m AR gong match at which I have used a Colt 5.56 and Stag 6.8 to good success. Wind is a big factor at this range. An AA 6.5 upper is on the way and should be less affected by the wind. The 6.8 has taken a large NE buck.

Tim

imma say hello to my new 6.5 grendel soon

Matt

I've had my 6.5 Grendel for over 3 yrs now and all I can say is "WOW" every time I shoot it. I love it!!! My friends all love to shoot it too!!! Its fast enough that I can make cross shots on wild hogs while they run and its big enough to take the big pigs down!!! I can't ask for anything more because I can't even feel the recoil after shooting my 30.06 for so many years. I have multiple clips including a coupe 25 rnd clips for hog hunting(lots of fun) and being able to squeeze off shot after shot and drop 1 pig after another is just "priceless".

Jason

I have this caliber in the 24" barrel and can accurately call shots at 1000m. My goal is to stretch it to a mile with the right calculations. This is my 3rd barrel for my MGI Hybid M4. I LOVE THIS ROUND!!

Steve

Great Article. I already have a 6.5 Grendel upper and have been very happy with it. The tipping point is my consideration was when Wolf starting making cheaper ammo and I figured if Wolf is making it, then it will be around awhile. Now that SAMMI has accepted it and Hornady makes it too, I am even more happy. I did have a 7.63×39 upper previously and was not happy – it was not reliable and I had to buy an "AK Kit" with a larger firing pin for the hard Wolf primers but it was still not 100% reliable. I sold it. I have had zero problems with my Grendel upper – 100% reliable so far with apx 300 rounds through it. I did buy lots of extra magazines as they are 6.5 specific however. Very happy with the 6.5 Grendel!!